Overview & Reviews

Nissan was born in Japan, and like other marques from its homeland, the brand is known for crafting vehicles that place an emphasis on quality and reliability. The company's roster of products is broad, and includes sporty coupes, family sedans, minivans, trucks and SUVs.

The automaker got its start in 1933 as the Jidosha Seico Co., Ltd. The following year, this outfit merged with another Japanese manufacturer, and the new company was christened Nissan Motor Company, Ltd. Nissan initially marketed its vehicles under the Datsun brand, with the first Datsuns being built in 1934. Postwar, the brand made its presence felt worldwide, building a partnership with the U.K.-based Austin Motor Co. and establishing a presence in the United States. The first Datsuns hit American shores in 1958. Vehicles like the Datsun 1000 were based on Austin platforms.

The '60s witnessed Nissan's merger with Prince Motor Company, a union that helped the Asian manufacturer create more luxury-focused vehicles. In the U.S. it began offering its first vehicle styled for the U.S. market, the Datsun 510 sedan. By the end of the decade, Datsun had exported more than 1 million vehicles. Datsun rose to prominence in the 1970s on the popularity of its 240Z sports car. Powered by an inline six-cylinder engine, the car was coveted for its blend of style, performance and affordability. By the time the '70s drew to a close, the automaker's cumulative vehicle exports had surpassed the 10 million mark.

In 1981, Nissan shelved the Datsun name and began selling vehicles worldwide under the Nissan moniker. The '80s also saw Nissan's launch of a tuning division called Nismo for the development of performance-oriented vehicles and accessories. Nissan also brought its production to American shores, with the construction of a Georgia-based plant.

The early '90s saw Nissan's fortunes rise in the U.S. thanks to fun-to-drive cars like the 300ZX, Maxima and Sentra. But this trend didn't last long and by the late '90s Nissan's offerings consisted of anonymous vehicles. The company's future was uncertain.

After the turn of the new century Nissan bounced back, helped by a 1999 alliance with Renault that boosted the company's finances. Its redesigned Sentra and Altima boosted sales and consumer interest, as did new models like the 350Z sports car, Armada SUV and Titan pickup. Today the manufacturer is known for offering a wide range of well-regarded vehicles, including the popular Murano SUV, the incredible GT-R supercar and the all-electric Leaf.

User Reviews:

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  Spring Break Fun! - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By Jhawk-Jeff - July 31 - 2:00 am

  I picked my Sheer Silver/Charcoal Murano up on 3/21 & its been a blast everyday! I get daily complements & my wife even wants to drive it over her 2001 Surrano Red Spyder. I am not the type of person that gives out 10s very often, but I havent felt this good since I bought my new Cutlass after high school. Note: I still have that 79 for sunny Sundays. I love cars & this one has all the bases covered. I chose this over an MDX & saved $10k in the process. My friends cant believe the 19 city mpg Im getting & the engine isnt even broken in yet

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  Glad its gone - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By Peter_wobowitz - July 31 - 2:00 am

  Many problems when bought, dealer never did an inspection. Repeated calls to the General Manager did nothing. Nice engine, smooth ride, and looks. Everything else not good! Tons of paint chips, arm rest starting to loosen, CD storage door never works right. Clunking noise in rear. Traded for a civic and miss the power but nothing else! MAJOR hit on resale! Pay more for Honda and Toyota! I could have had an Accord in the first place...

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  A Little Dissapointed... - 2011 Nissan Juke
  By bparks89834 - July 31 - 1:58 am

  I traded in my 2009 MINI S hardtop for a 2011 Juke SV. Main motivation: my daily commute includes 15 miles of gravel road and frequent snowy winter conditions. The Cooper had issues--it rattled on the gravel, and never liked snow over 2" deep. It had virtues--consistently 36 mpg, and a blast to drive. The Juke sounded great--greater ground clearance, AWD, turbo-charged with HP to match the S, and an MPG rated at 25 city, 30 hwy. If only... Currently, Im getting 24.2 mpg on mostly highways, driving like a pansy in ECO, staying in 2 wheel drive the vast majority of the time, and holding my mouth right. Nissan: how did you get this wrong?

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  What A Great Car!! - 2010 Nissan Maxima
  By Babs - July 31 - 1:46 am

  I already had a Nissan Maxima 1997. I liked it alot. However, I did look and test drive other cars.(Honda, Toyota, Mazda) They felt great until I got behind the wheel of the 2010 Maxima. I was blown away by the power and comfort. The feeling of luxury and power made my decision an easy one.

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  First Impression - 2009 Nissan Frontier
  By JJS - July 30 - 1:10 pm

  I am quite pleased with this truck. I was open minded towards purchasing any brand and type of truck. I chose the Frontier for several reasons: Good build quality; metal where you normally see plastic and good fit. Smoothest shifting Ive ever seen, especially into and out of 4WD. Name brand tires. Power; (V6) plenty of it with decent fuel economy. Not too big, not too small; perfect size for someone who doesnt live in their truck. Drives very well; confident handling and feel. Overall great truck I think. Assembled in USA. Dont be fooled, you cant have someone in the back for any long period of time in King Cab but Im ok with that. Oil filter a little hard to get to.

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  Nice - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By Jack - July 30 - 12:33 pm

  Nice truck fun to drive with plenty of power. A lot of standard features that do not come with ford or chevy. It is a well built truck with plenty of room in the interior.

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  Awesome everyday car - 1996 Nissan Maxima
  By GP - July 30 - 5:40 am

  I bought this car used in April of 2003, and have been very pleased with it. I bought it with 115,900 miles on it and sold it to my brother in August with 134,000. The fuel economy was amazing with the 5-speed - I never got less than 30 mpg on the highway, and even got 35 a few times. I have never had anything major go wrong with it, just the usual maintenence. As my first car, I dont think I could have found a better vehicle. These cars last forever, and nothing beats the always strong and potent VQ30DE!!

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  Good Car - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By D Scott - July 30 - 4:36 am

  Purchased this car used with 31,000 miles on it. Have had it for 3 months now and am really happy with the car. Great styling inside and out. Rides very smooth and no wind noise. I stand 6 foot and I am very comfortable in this car, my knees are not pressed into the dash. The only complaint I have is the stereo, the sound quality is awful. I assume its the base stereo option. Im thinking about upgrading the whole stereo system because of the sound quality.

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  stylish - 2003 Nissan Pathfinder
  By pkmcd99 - July 30 - 1:40 am

  Finally an SUV with luxury options at an affordable price. 5 star safety is a welcomed bonus. love my Nissan, glad to rid my Jeep.

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  Nissan-never again! - 2000 Nissan Maxima
  By Carl - July 29 - 11:16 pm

  Between 58,000 & 58,500 I had to replace all 6 ignition coils ($490), the Mass Airflow Sensor ($538), the Throttle Response Sensor ($393). The A/T also had to be replaced, under warranty. During the 58,500 miles the A/T was serviced twice and a external cooler installed in series with the factory cooler. I am a preventative maintenance junkie! The transmission failure should never of happened. Nissan is pure junk!! The A/T should of went al least 150,000 miles. The rebuilt replacement has only a 12/12 warranty. I will get rid of this junker before the current warranty runs out! I understand Nissan is now controlled by a French Co. That explains the poor reliability!